In one of the more gruesome injuries you will see on a basketball court, Louisville guard Kevin Ware severely fractured his leg in Sunday’s Elite Eight game against Duke.

‘Officially broken his leg’

With just over six minutes remaining in the first half, Ware attempted to defend a three-point shot from Tyler Thornton. He landed awkwardly and his leg appeared to bend the wrong way on the court. According to Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated, Ware has officially broken his leg and was taken to the hospital.

What makes this even more unfortunate is the reaction from the teammates. After viewing the injury, the Louisville players struggled to keep their composure. In a post-game interview, coach Rick Pitino explained that the injury will keep him out for a year (via Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated):

“Rick Pitino on Ware: “Basically the bone popped out of his skin. It will take a year for him to come back. Same injury as Michael Bush.”

‘Solid contributor’

The Courier Journal’s C.L. Brown reports that the surgery on Ware’s leg has been successfully completed and the player will remain in Indianapolis until at least Tuesday, though the release date will obviously depend on how well his recovery goes.

Ware averaged 4.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 17 minutes per game this season, and was a solid contributor on both sides of the court. He was also coming off his best game of the year with 11 points in the win against Oregon. Louisville will now look to move past not only the physical loss of Ware but also the emotional toll that viewing the injury took on the players. Hopefully, the Cardinals can play their best basketball to honor their injured teammate.

Do you think Kevin Ware will be able to make a full recovery within a year? And will Louisville’s performance be seriously maimed with Ware’s absence?

In the early 90’s, the United States Department of Defense banned women from entering ground combat units and the ban has continued up until recently, when the military has finally decided to lift it. At last, the U.S. military will reopen combat jobs to female soldiers.

‘Sexist policy’

Women have already been performing combat roles, but they have not been receiving the same training or recognition that their male counterparts have. The lift on this ban resulted from the Americal Civil Liberties Union suing the Pentagon over this sexist policy.

This change in military policy has been met with mixed opinions. Some contested the end to the ban for the reason that most women are incapable of performing military duties in the same level that men are. They say women should not be allowed to serve in the military because the job is too heavy, the hygiene practices are too unfit, and the emotional toll is too much for the delicate structure of a woman. On some situations, soldiers in the combat field go up to 15 days without a single shower, so what if a woman has her monthly period. Can she cope with this situation? Are women too “fragile” for this kind of environment?

‘It does not matter’

As for those who support this change, they say that it does not matter if you are a man or a woman, gay or straight, black or white — just as long as you are able to perform the job. And history has proven time and again, most women are up to it. They just need to be given ample opportunity. Women perform so many jobs that are more difficult than that of men, so allowing them to serve in the military is just another addition to their long list of job opportunities.

Do you agree that women should be allowed to serve in ground combat units? Do you know some women who have served in combat duty? Tell us how they have coped with the demands of this type of job!